All Adventures Start in a Bar…
by Meneldur
Summary: Drabble/Oneshot Emma comes to hang a bit in Boston, and meets an old friend who's trying to do a good deed - find a one-night-stand for another friend...


All Adventures Start in a Bar…

Author's Note: This is a drabble/oneshot which may later develop into a bigger story. I actually like this idea, but I probably won't develop it much more than this –because it's hard to wrap my head around, and I find it hard at the moment to develop a plot.

I tweaked the timeline a bit. This takes place in around 2000. I've aged Emma to have been born in about 1970, though I haven't found any definite info on her birth date. BtVS characters are aged back about 5-6 years – Faith who was born in 1980 in canon was born in 1975 or so in this story.

Regarding canon – after BtVS Season 7, ignoring the comics. X-Men… mixed canon, sometimes before Generation X. Emma's lone headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy.

Emma Frost, former White Queen of the Hellfire Club and headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy, was home again. Of course, she never really considered this town her home – she may have been born and raised in it, but it was never what a home should truly be – supportive, accepting, caring. At least most of it. The place she was about to enter was her first true home.

She had found it when she was fifteen, a rebellious child, performing badly at school, fighting with her parents – a typical teenager. Except for her bad headaches, which were a precursor of her discovering her mutant power. It had been a shelter, a place to chill, have fun, and get buzzed. Now, around thirty years old, CEO of a very successful company and headmistress of a very prestigious academy, she still came here when she took time off, in order to remind herself how to have fun.

As she walked in, throwing away her deep thoughts and concentrating on having fun, everyone not otherwise engaged turned to look at her gradually. It wasn't often a tall, statuesque blond with high heels, a corset, leather skirt and cape all in white came into this small bar. She ignored them, heading straight to the barman and asking for a glass of wine. White, of course.

As she sat there, sipping her wine, surveying the room for any likely partners, she heard a shout from a darkened corner, accompanied by a woman. "Frosty!"

Five and a half feet of muscle, sass and rampant sexuality headed towards her. Emma raised an elegant eyebrow. "Darling, you're still alive… I'm impressed. But I'm even more impressed that at this time of night, you're not horizontal with someone, or trying to sleep it off."

The brunette chuckled. "Yeah, I'm a real good girl, aren't I? I'd say impressed you're still an ice-cold bitch, but I didn't think you'd change."

Emma smiled. "I don't think I'd want either of us to change much, Faith", and accepted the quick hug (and ass squeeze) Faith gave her. Emma rarely allowed people to touch her, but Faith was allowed to take some liberties, after three years of hanging together in the shadier neighborhoods of Boston. They had helped each other – the ten year old Faith teaching Emma how to find her way in bars and alleys, while Emma protected Faith from people – at first with threats, later with telepathy.

"So what'cha doing here, Frosty? Why aren't you at your school, teaching impressionable young minds how to dress like a slut, or making every dude in your company hard?" Faith asked, sitting besides her.

"I see you've expanded your vocabulary to something beyond a sixth-grader's," Emma shot quickly. "As for why I'm here, I'm taking a few days off. What about you? What brings you down from your school in Cleveland down here?"

Faith shrugged. "Had some time off, decided to help a friend with relationship troubles", she jerked a thumb at the corner she came from, indicating a silhouette barely noticeable in the shadows.

"Ah… a regular Good Samaritan", Emma replied. "Cut the crap, Faith. We've known each other long enough. What are you really doing here?"

"Yo, Em, don't get snippy. I'm completely serious. Like I said… Faith's a good girl now." Faith answered calmly. "Well… not exactly good, you know… but better. She's helped me find my way a bit, and I'm returning the favor. And who's this Sam-Martian dude anyway?"

"I'm not wasting my time educating you", Emma replied haughtily. "If you want to learn, come to my Academy. Now details. Spill."

Faith laughed, downing her drink. "Like old times, huh? Gossip and insults… whatever. Friend over there just got out a two year relationship with a girl… kind of like you, I guess, 'cept not as hot. You might know her, actually. Girl says 'you're too tame, I need freedom, blah blah blah'. Anyways, she's 'emotionally fragile' or some shit, and keeps running into her ex making out with other girls and stuff. Gets both pissed and cry-ish – kinda' like a pregnant woman, in fact. So I offer to take her on vacay, show her some sites, maybe find her a one-night-stand or something. And here we are."

Emma nodded slowly, digesting this. "I guess that makes sense. Is it working?"

Faith shook her head, annoyed. "Nah. She's too picky. Says they're not right, no connection, something like that. I tried explaining the idea of a 'stand to her, but she's stubborn. Still, least it takes her mind off the break-up."

Emma was still thinking. "Intriguing. Would you care to introduce me?"

Faith blinked at her, surprised. "You? What's got you interested in her all of a sudden?"

Emma just smiled, a smile Faith recognized from their early days. "Oh, right. A challenge and a chance to practice your psycho-stuff and sex therapy. Two things Emma Frost never ignored. Whatever, guess it can't hurt. Might be good, if any of that stuff you do works for her like it did for me." Faith smiled, remembering good memories… and greater sex. "Might actually help her, someone to talk it over with. She's a bit brainy, you know."

"Sounds like my kind of girl", Emma commented, draining her glass. "Shall we?"

"Sure thing," Faith got up, and started walking towards the corner, Emma right behind her.

As they approached, she could see that the girl had slightly longer than shoulder-length hair, and had very good mental shields, not leaking out anything. She knew Faith was some kind of mutant, and that her school in Cleveland taught girls with the same type of powers, so this wasn't much of a surprise. The girl's body was. Unlike Faith, she was slender and delicate, especially in the bust. Still, Emma was fine with it if the girl was good at it. The body wasn't as important as the mind, at least to her.

"Yo, Red", Faith spoke to the girl. "This is Emma, old friend of mine. We used to hang out together in these places when we were kids. But, she's not like me, you know, she's…"

"Civilized", Emma interjected, holding out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Emma Grace, and you are?"

The redhead took the proffered hand and shook it. "Willow Rosenberg."


End file.
